How to Improve Your Online Questionnaires

Great online questionnaires offer a clear and reliable insight to inform decision-making. Good online questionnaires are not only easy to fill out but also have higher quality data and response rates. Here are several tips to help you improve your online questionnaires.

1. Define the purpose of your online questionnaire

Іndistinct goals will lead to indistinct results, and you do not want to get a set of results that does not provide any decision-enhancing value. Great online questionnaires have focused and easy to understand objectives. Some questions that can help you establish the purpose of your online questionnaire include;

•Why are you creating the questionnaire?

•What do you expect to achieve with this questionnaire?

•How do you plan to use the data you will collect?

•Which decisions do you hope the results of the questionnaire will impact on?

This calls for simple planning which will help ensure that your online questionnaires ask the right questions that will meet your objectives and provide useful data.

2.Keep the questionnaire focused

A short, focused questionnaire can help generate quality and numerous responses. As a rule of thumb, focus on one objective instead of creating a master questionnaire covering multiple objectives. Short online questionnaires have higher response rates and less abandonment among the respondents. Make sure that all of your questions are focused on achieving the stated objective. Avoid throwing in questions that do not directly generate data that will help you meet the objectives.

3.Use closed ended questions

Closed ended questions generally give the respondents a specific set of choices, which makes it easier to analyze data. They can take the form of rating scales, multiple choice, or just yes/no questions. Оpen ended questions allow respondents to give their answers in their own words and can provide a lot of useful and qualitative information or insights. But for purposes of analysis and collating, the closed ended questions are the best option. Try using them whenever possible.

4.Keep your questions simple<?h2>

Ensure all of your questions are direct, to the point and try avoiding using jargon. Don’t assume that the respondents of your online questionnaires are comfortable with your “choice of words” as much as you are. The trick is to make the questions as simple, specific and direct as possible.

5.Ensure there is a logical order to the questionnaire

Make sure that your online questionnaires have a logical ordering. Start with a short introduction that motivates the respondents to complete the questionnaire. Next, it is wise idea to begin from the broader-based questions and move to the ones with a narrower scope. For instance, collect demographic data first and then ask the sensitive questions, if any, at the end. This will help prevent respondents from abandoning your online questionnaire.